1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric motor, and more particularly to an electric motor in which an electrical connection between lead terminals of coils such as stator windings and a power input member (connector) to which an electric power is inputted is facilitated for easy assembly, a connecting structure in the electric motor, a connecting method and a set of conductors for use in the electric motor.
2. Description of Related Art
In an electric motor having a structure that connects ends of coils wound around a stator to a power input member (connector) or a terminal block, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 8, the ends 2 of the coils are pulled out from a connector mounting 1, stripped, and soldered directly to the connector 3.
In addition, a technique is known in which, as shown in FIG. 9, conductors 6 fixedly mounted on an insulator 5 are mounted on the power input unit (connector) 4 in advance, and the conductors 6 and the coil lead terminals 8 are passed through annular members 7 and connected by conductive caulking (JP 2004-343831A). Moreover, a technique for facilitating the connection between the power input member (connector) and the conductors is proposed in JP 2006-31986A, and a technique relating to a conductive caulking method is proposed in JP 2002-343528A.
However, the invention described in JP 2004-343831A has a drawback in the man-hours required to pass the conductors and the lead terminals of the coils through the terminals and in the need to fixedly mount the terminals at predetermined positions in order to set the whole assembly on a conductive caulking machine. In addition, the work man-hours required to place a housing over the connector unit once it has been installed also pose a problem. Moreover, in a case in which the conductor part is fixedly mounted on the insulator, the number of parts as well as the work man-hours increase and the structure becomes complicated, which increases the cost of the motor.